This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review.

I take nap times very seriously. I really do. They are my chance to read something (above a second grade level), sip something delicious (usually warm), and soak up some quiet time (literally quiet time, I’m not talking about a devotional time here although sometimes that fits in here too). Nap times are me time. Even on days where I have laundry to fold or dusting to do I make sure to squeeze in a little enjoyable time for me. Recently, I was able to try the new TAZO® Chai Latte K-Cup® pods in my Keurig®. I’ve always enjoyed TAZO® tea but a chai latte at home was new for me.

I’ve always enjoyed a good cup of chai when I’ve been out and about but I never knew it was possible to have at home! It was delicious and simple to make. Here’s the brief rundown!

Empty the included packet into your mug. This packet is filled with delicious goodness – sugar, milk, cream, honey, and natural flavors. It’s the best part of the latte in my opinion. 🙂

2. Place your TAZO® Chai Latte K-Cup® pod into your Keurig®, select the 8 ounce size, and run as usual. This contains black tea, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, star anise, and natural flavors. This is the spicy side of the chai latte and is so yummy. I just found out that chai has it’s roots in Indian history.

3. Once it’s finished simply stir and enjoy the frothy goodness.

As busy adults, it’s important to have a little down time each day to reduce stress. If you find yourself wound a little too tight take a sip of TAZO® Chai Latte and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

New York Times Bestselling author and host Padma Lakshmi has partnered with TAZO® to celebrate the release of the new K-Cup® pods. You can find out more information by visiting TAZO.com/chai. She has developed recipes that pair perfectly with a cup of chai and you can find them all at TAZO.com/chai/pairings. Until I have time to bake I’ve been enjoying my chai with store bought biscotti. I think the flavors pair perfectly and it makes me feel like I’m eating a grown up snack. 🙂

I have talked about Light Bladder Leakage (LBL) on the blog before, and I think it’s something that warrants further discussion considering the numerous people who private messaged me or emailed me saying how helpful my honest discussion was for them. Considering one in three women experience LBL at some point in their lives it’s no wonder women are looking for answers. Thirty-five miiiillllion women experience SUI (stress urinary incontinence) which can be triggered by everyday occurrences like coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting, or even exercise. 35 million, wow!

Try out the new Poise Impressa which is designed to help stop leaks before they happen!

Do your Kegals! Seriously, do it. Put post it notes around the house with smiley faces on them to remind you. You’ll never look at a smiley face the same way again will you? 🙂

Poise products are great to have on hand in the mean time while you’re strengthening those muscles. Coping with accidents is much easier if you have the right tools for the job, says Wendy Fries of WebMD.

Stay hydrated. Dehydration can cause constipation, and constipation can contribute to bladder leakage for some women. (source: LiveConfidently.com)

Take time to go to the bathroom more often. Set a timer until you get in the habit of going more frequently.

Limit your caffeine if at all possible. It’s a natural diuretic so only drink it if you’ll be near a bathroom.

Did you know that according to a recent survey, 82% of the nation’s moms never skipping brushing their teeth every night? If fact, moms have even prioritized it over washing their faces before bed or removing their make-up. I know I always brush even if I don’t wash off my face (Which is absolutely horrible to skip! I know, I know.) It just goes to show, even when moms are their busiest they make oral hygiene a high priority.

We need to, don’t we? After all, we spend valuable time each day training our children to brush properly when they are little and reminding them to when they are older. Children practice what they see so we have to be shining examples of what good oral health looks like. Not to mention the fact that no one wants the expenses and headaches (literally) of dentist procedures that could have avoided if proper care had been given to our mouths.

I try to make it as enjoyable as possible for my children to brush their teeth. Here are a few simple ways I try to make brushing fun for my kids.

– Making it a routine helps tremendously. They know what to expect because we do the same thing every single day.

– I also let my daughter pick out which toothbrush she wants and we make a big deal of brushing with that fun toothbrush. Hello Kitty is the brush of choice right now and it flashes for the length of time she should brush. Usually, I avoid character stamped e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g but toothbrushes are one of the few areas where I embrace cartoons.

– We also make trips to the visit seem as big as going to the zoo. It’s a huge deal in my 4 year old’s mind and I’ll keep it that way for as long as possible. After all, not having cavities IS an achievement that she earned herself (with a little of her parent’s help). It probably helps that our dentist gives out stickers and a toy for not having a cavity. 🙂

Recently, I was given a set by Reach to review and my daughter was very excited to check it out herself. It’s similar to her Hello Kitty mouthwash that Reach also makes.

The new Reach Complete Care Rinse offers 8-in-1 benefits as well as another reason to make moms smile brighter – less counter clutter. Yea, that’s a huge one in my book! The rinse tastes minty but isn’t overpowering, it’s designed to target problem areas in the mouth, and it makes sure the bathroom counter stays neat and tidy.

It has a built in storage space for a cup AND a toothbrush holder. It’s quite a clever little product if you ask me. Good job, Reach! Plus, it’s attractive enough to leave on the counter to remind sleepy mamas to use mouthwash daily too. It’s great!

The Reach also has a new Curve toothbrush which boasts of a 13° triple angled neck and triple angled bristles to maximize contact with each tooth, clean between teeth, and clean around the gum line. The brush fit comfortably in my hand and the angle made it easy to reach those hard to reach places. I’ll definitely be buying this brush the next time I’m due for a new one.

I participated in a Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central forAVEENO. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

As a blogger and a parent, I can admit that I’ve spent far too much time posing my kids for the best possible picture…which portrays them (and me!) in the best possible light. Isn’t that silly? I catch myself doing it often and I have to stop myself. I don’t want to look back on my photo albums (or online albums) in ten years and see picture after picture of a perfect family that I don’t recognize. No, I don’t want to intentionally take pictures of our dirty laundry but a little toy clutter in the background won’t hurt anything. It’s real life and real life is beautiful.

This is a picture of my daughter as she watched her first storm come closer and closer. It’s not a great picture but to me it’s perfect.

Real life, sincere moments, authentic relationships are beautiful. Unscripted beauty. I love to be able to capture those in photos. Moments where my husband and daughter take a walk together holding hands. Moments where my son tightly hugs his teddy bear with his eyes closed. Moments where I catch my daughter giving her brother a kiss. Those are the moments I want to cherish and hold with me forever.

This is a picture of our Father’s Day dinner. It sure isn’t perfect but I think it captured the moment well. My daughter didn’t want to smile and my husband kept telling my son to look at the camera by pointing to it. My son followed his Dad’s lead and pointed to the camera. It wasn’t like most of the polished photos I saw on Facebook yesterday but I think it captured my husband’s kindness and patience with his children…a quality that I absolutely adore in him.

AVEENO agrees that natural, candid beauty is best and they’re creating an #UnscriptedBeauty Movement which encourages parents to embrace the natural beauty around them. …even when life doesn’t go as planned.

On Saturday, my daughter’s outdoor Candy Land birthday party had a brief rain shower towards the end of it. Everyone raced inside carrying as much as they could. While in the panic I couldn’t help but pause to notice the kids laughing and squealing. They were happy. Genuinely giddy with joy. It was beautiful. I wish I had a picture of that chaotic moment but I was busy trying to tell my husband to grab my camera to get it out of the rain.

Life isn’t perfect and it rarely goes as planned but I think that’s a good thing. Beautiful even.

Contest!

AVEENO is encouraging people to capture authentic Unscripted Beauty in their lives throughout the month of June. One winner will be selected in July to receive a photo-shoot from acclaimed photographer, Danielle Guenther, as well as AVEENO products!

– To enter, simply upload a photo of your favorite Unscripted Beauty moment to Instagram and include #UnscriptedBeauty, #AVEENO, and #Contest

– The winner will receive a photo shoot with acclaimed photographer, Danielle Guenther!

This is a sponsored conversation on behalf of Dove and The Motherhood.

Mom knows best, right? I think that’s true most of the time and when it comes to beauty I definitely think that’s true – in my case it is! My mother was, and still is, a beauty. Here are a few of the beauty tips that I learned from her, that she probably learned from her mom.

– Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. A good moisturizer is a woman’s best friend.

– My mom taught me that my neck and clavicle have the same skin as my face so I should moisturize it just as often and with the same product.

– My mom taught me to wash my face with Dove every night before bed. I was eager to try fancy scrubs and masks but she said a simple gentle cleanser is all I needed.

– Use baby oil as an eye-makeup remover. It’s cheap, gentle, and works great.

– “Never leave the house without lipstick” is something my grandmother ingrained in me from a young age. At times I might opt for lipgloss instead but there’s always something colorful on my lips. Like mother, like daughter. From a young age, I remember admiring my mother’s skill for applying lipstick without a mirror.

– Drink water all day long. It’s good for your body and your complexion.

– “Don’t touch your face.” My mom used to give me a hard time about how much I touched my face and how it would give me breakouts. I’m still working on this one!

– Use conditioner on the ends of your hair every time you wash it.

– “If you’ve got a good complexion make up will just be icing on the cake.” My mom had me using good skin care products since before I was 18.

– Age gracefully. My mom still doesn’t have grey hair but when she does I know she’ll embrace it with gusto.

– She always encouraged me to learn what colors and styles looked good on me and ignore the fads.

– Last but not least, my mom taught me to smile. She told me that a smile always makes you appear prettier. I try to remember this every day but especially on days when I’m not as put together as I’d like to be you can bet that I’ll be smiling.

A Dove survey finds that most women (84% in fact) trust the women in their lives more than celebrities for beauty tips and advice. From all the advice I learned and still incorporate from my mom and grandmother, I’d believe that to be true!

What tried-and-true beauty advice was passed onto you from the women in your life? Share your own #BeautyStory to celebrate the real women who have shaped it and take a look at this video from Dove for even more inspiration.

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Colgate. I received a product sample for this review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

A while back I read something about saving a smile for your kids. The article talked about the importance of smiling at your kids even on days when you don’t feel like it. Even though I can’t remember where I read that the message has stuck with me and I’ve tried to intentionally smile more. Do you know what I’ve learned since trying to smile more? It truly improves my mood. When I smile more my kids smile more and life is just better. Give it a try it sometime; it’s remarkable.

Charles Gordy once said, “A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks.” I love that. A person does tend to be better looking when they smile, don’t they?

Smiling leads to a decrease in the stress-induced hormones that negatively affect your physical and mental health. Here are two great examples:

– In the famous yearbook study, where they tracked the lives of women for 30 years who had the best smiles in yearbook photos compared to the rest. The women who smiled the most lived happier lives, happier marriages and had fewer setbacks.

–The baseball card study found a clear correlation between how big a smile someone made on a baseball card photo and how long they would live. The people with the biggest smiles turned out to live 7 years longer than those who didn’t.

Smiling not only improves your mood, your looks, but also your life! We should all actively try to smile several times a day now, right? I think so! If you lack a confident smile, cheer up because I have a few tips to help you improve your smile.

Tips to Improve your Smile

– Practice Smiling

Can you think of someone you know that smiles a lot? They have a comfortable smile. People who smile often can break out into a toothy grin effortlessly. Everyone feels at ease around them. Having a comfortable smile of your own will take a little practice but it will be worth it!

Practice smiling in the mirror. Do you like your smile best with your mouth open or closed? Practice smiling with your eyes. After you’ve done this for a while purposefully make eye contact with strangers and smile. Not everyone will smile back but chances are you’ll help brighten their day anyway!

– Brush, Floss, Rinse

Make sure your smile is the best that it can be by brushing with Colgate Enamel Health. It will leave your teeth sparkling white and your enamel protected. Flossing will help keep your teeth and gums healthy but will also reduce bad breath. Rinse with mouthwash for a clean feeling mouth and fresh breath. Good oral hygiene is essential for a confident smile.

Thanks to Walgreens’ Saturdate last month I was able to picked up a great deal on Colgate Enamel Health. Be sure to check your local Walgreens for all the supplies you need to have a winning smile.

This holiday season, make a conscious effort to make eye contact and give genuine smiles at other people whenever possible. Smile at your kids—smile at your co-workers—smile with confidence at every opportunity!

1. Endless GIFs that give me a headache. Why must there be one with every point? (Not to mention the frustration on the flip side where you can’t see any images because you don’t have the correct plug in on your browser.)

2. Always trying to guess how the GIFs relate to the point. Some are stretching it a bit much!

3. There is always one thing on the list that’s slightly off color which makes me hesitate sharing.

4. Boobs

5. One arbitrary number always boasts it will “blow your mind” and it’s rarely the best.

6. That one Facebook friend that shares 5 lists a day. They’re addictive and it’s easy to go overboard.

7. I can never resist clicking on them. Something about having a number makes me feel like I. must. read. it. or my life isn’t complete.

This post was created in partnership with Quaker. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Do you need a convenient breakfast? Do you find yourself grabbing a banana while on the way out the door? If so, I have a solution for you! A delicious, creamy solution. Quaker breakfast shakes!

Quaker Breakfast Shakes are packed with protein and fiber to help you get going in the morning. I don’t know how they are for your family but mornings are kind of hectic around here. On mornings where we have to get everyone up, dressed, and fed before heading out the door I feel pulled in a dozen different directions and I usually skip breakfast. Shame on me, I know!! On mornings where my husband is the only one who leaves it’s a little calmer but still difficult to eat myself while also preparing food for a toddler and feeding a newborn. With Quaker shakes I can sip as I multitask around the house or take it with me on the road.

How do they taste? The chocolate is divine! I’m a big fan of chocolate so a nutritious chocolate breakfast is right up my alley. I’ve had my share of breakfast drinks and this is right up there at the top. It’s thick, has a good consistency, no aftertaste, and it’s just plain yummy. The strawberry on the other hand, I can’t speak as favorably of. Keep in mind that I’ve never, ever liked any strawberry drinks/milks. Not a one. With that in mind, my opinion really shouldn’t count on the strawberry drinks. Trust me though, you have to try the chocolate!

Let me sum it up for you. 8 grams of whole grains. 10 grams of protein. 6 grams of fiber. 11 ounces of deliciousness. Give it a try and see if it helps you squeeze in a bit of goodness into your mornings. Here’s a $2 digital coupon to use!

Things have changed ever so sightly as I’ve grown up. I still use colorful, sometimes glittery, notebooks to give myself a pick me up. I still paint my nails an array of colors. I still own pens in every color…well, maybe not as many as when I was in junior high but I still regularly use at least ten colors. Okay, so maybe the only thing that has really changed is that I grew up.

Color is too much fun to leave to the kids! I’m a firm believer that adults need color in their lives too.

Women should wear bright colors, experiment with different shades of make up just because they can, and write with colorful ink. Black is way overrated.

Do you remember those fat pens they used to make waaaay back in the day? I’m talking when I was in elementary school. These pens had many different colors that you could push down when you wanted to switch colors. …and you tried to push multiple ones down simultaneously to no avail…or maybe I was the only one who did that. Well, now BIC®has a grown up version of that pen. Check out the 4 Inseparable Colors in 1 Pen, available at Amazon and Staples.

This new fancy pen takes blue, black, green, and red ink and puts them into one slender, sleek looking pen. Want to doodle in multiple colors? You got it! Want to leave a romantic red note for your spouse? Check! Want to leave a note in your kid’s lunch box? Easy peasy! Want to sign a legal document? Got it!

I listen to different types of music when I’m in different moods, as I’m sure many of you do too, now you can write with different colors to coincide with your moods too!

Feeling proud? Blue is the boss. Just look at the names of his family members…Navy Blue, Oxford Blue, Royal Blue.

Feeling jealous? Green is often jealous because it’s the forgotten color. It’s such a calm and lovely color but it’s often overlooked for blue, red, and black. Green is great – green food, good for the environment, etc.

Feeling flawless? Write with a bold red pen. Red likes to be in control and the center of attention. When a teacher wants to correct a grammar, spelling, or calculation error what color do they grab? Exactly!

Feeling forgotten? Grab the black pen to write with. Black is the afterthought color. Everyone wants to write with blue but when it’s not available black is there for you. Black is sure and steady and it has your back.

What color are you? I feel that I’m a combination of them all. Sometimes a little lonely or jealous and sometimes a little confident and bold. With four colors in one pen I don’t have to choose!

This 4-color pen makes it easy to color code and organize my hectic calendar without toting around multiple pens in my bag. It’s all I could ask for in a pen. Well, that is, with the exception of having a pink, purple, black, and blue pen. I’d love that! Can I have that BIC®, pretty please?

To stay “in the know” about BIC®’s latest products and promotions you can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

This post is sponsored by Cottonelle, but my love for their flushable cleansing cloths is all my own!

I eagerly started potty training my daughter at 18 months because I wanted her to be trained by age 2. As you may have guessed, that didn’t happen! She sat on the potty and peed right away. Yay, right? Wrong. She immediately started screaming because it scared her. *big sigh*

I tried again a few months after her second birthday. This time I had a spiffy potty seat and was ready to dedicate three full days to potty training with the naked method. I was pregnant and getting bigger by the day so I didn’t want to have to chase her all over the house dripping pee {or worse!} so we confined ourselves to our small office to play, color, and sing. She wore a tank top and that was it. We had fun but she never peed. I had an alarm go off every 15 minutes and I would get really excited that it was time to sit on the potty chair. I thought the potty chair would be quieter than peeing in the big potty and perhaps less scary. She complied and we had a good day….but she never peed. Not once. All day. Seriously, the kid held her bladder for 6 straight hours and she drank A LOT! As soon as I gave up that evening and put a diaper on her she peed.

Day two of naked potty training didn’t go as planned either. We did the same thing as day one but I upped her drinking even more. For lunch we had watery foods, I kept her favorite Minnie Mouse cup full, and she could have all the smoothie drinks she wanted {which are usually reserved as special treat}. We sat the timer over and over but she never peed on the potty. …then out of no where she starts wailing! She peed a tiny bit and she was screaming that she was dirty. It took quite a while to console her and I decided that she wasn’t ready. Maybe if I kept at it she would have been potty trained sooner but sitting on the floor playing and putting her on the potty over and over again was too much for this pregnant nauseous mama. So I waited.

I waited till she asked me to sit on the potty…and then I made her wait some more. That’s right, she was asking to sit on the potty and I told her not right now. You see, I have had friends who have potty trained and I’ve heard them talk about running them to the bathroom and cleaning up messes…several times a day. I couldn’t do that near the end of my pregnancy. Kudos to the moms who do but I couldn’t take on that task. I kept talking about the potty regularly and she would usually go in the bathroom with me.

Now, I have a successful potty trained two and a half year old who has had so few accidents that I can count them on one hand. After two days of potty training with zero accidents we tried letting her go through the night with panties on and she did great. She was practically potty trained in three days!! How did I do it? A lot of prayer! Besides prayer, I really don’t think I have a super formula but I want to share what worked for my little girl in case it will help encourage someone else.

We Talked About Going to the Potty

We talked about going to the potty a lot. Every time one of us went we made a point to announce where we were going. Toddlers love to imitate their parents and I had hoped that if I made a big deal when I went that she would want to as well.

We Invited Her Friends Over Who Were Potty Trained

We spent time with other toddlers who were potty trained or at least further along in the process of training. Seeing her friends sit on the big potty made it the cool thing to do.

We Bought Her a Book About Going to The Potty

She LOVES Mister Rogers! Not only is it her favorite show but it’s the only show she’ll watch {with the occasional animated Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood which was based off of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood}. When I found a potty training book that Fred Rogers wrote I knew it would be good. I ordered it from Amazon and I was very pleased with it. Mister Rogers has a way of addressing complicated issues in such a simple, straight-forward way. I love how he never down-played children’s emotions and talked to them pretty much as adults. I could go on and on about my love for his work but I’ll save that for another post.

We Bought Her a Seat to Set on the Potty

Feeling secure on the potty without Mommy or Daddy holding her was important in helping her relax and get the job done. After she peed with the seat for a few weeks she is comfortable with us holding her on there without the seat but it was handy {maybe even necessary} in the beginning. We still use the potty seat downstairs where we are most of the time but we didn’t buy a potty seat for every bathroom in our house.

We Use Cottonelle Fresh Clean Wipes

They make a fabulous transition from wipes to toilet paper. A clean bum has never been easier! Plus, they’re great for temporarily cleaning up accidents until you can give them a bath. They’re moist, soft, flushable, and with their new packaging they are also super convenient.

We Reward With Treats

Early on in potty training it was so tempting to give her a treat for setting on the potty and trying but I held firm and waited until she peed. Now she gets a chocolate treat of an M&M, or a frozen blueberry, or a craisin. She doesn’t get to pick which one, we just alternate what we offer.

We Bought a Handy Travel Potty Seat

This little guy folds up nicely to fit in my diaper bag. It even came in it’s own plastic bag that I’ve continued to put it in. This gives me peace of mind when venturing out of the house. I hate dirty bathrooms but when a kid’s gotta go, they’ve gotta go.

We Bought Her Princess Panties

Her daddy made a BIG deal about her wearing princess panties when she peed in the potty. After one day of a dry diaper we went to Walmart together and bought princess panties. I didn’t know if they had them or not but after we promised them I sure had my fingers crossed. Walmart came through for us but I was very surprised how expensive little girl’s panties are…and how rough the material is. {As a side note, the ones I bought on clearance at Crazy 8 are much nicer if you’re wanting to spend the money or wait for a sale.}

When Daddy was telling her all about her princess panties she could get he also mentioned to her that she’s growing up so fast and pretty soon she’ll be starting school, she’ll have to get a backpack, etc, etc. She clung to the fact that she would be getting a backpack. After it was clear that she wouldn’t forget about it we said that if she kept her princesses dry for a week she could have a backpack. Thankfully, I found a soft and small Winnie the Pooh backpack at a local consignment sale!

That’s about it, I don’t know why it worked but I just know that it did. As much as it bugged me hearing people say that “you just have to wait till they’re ready” and “you’ll just know when they are ready”…it’s true. Waiting really paid off for me. I would much rather have a potty trained kid almost instantly than six months of rushing them to the potty. Having her communicate with me that she has to go is much nicer than me trying to know her potty schedule and remembering to take her. I can’t promise you’ll have the results I did if you do everything like me because all kids are different but I want to encourage you that it will happen. Your kid will eventually be potty trained!

Hi, I’m Ashley!

I'm a stay at home mom to one adorable little girl and I have the most amazing husband! We're a typical family that struggles with finances, priorities, and all the other challenges that life throws our way. I’m passionate about glorifying God and making the most of each and every day here on earth. Read more